Teen dad who took time off school to help pregnant girlfriend can't return

A NSW teen who took time off school to help his then 14-year-old girlfriend after she became pregnant has been banned from returning.

Jake Lee's son Djaki was born in February but while his girlfriend Jada Brown, now 16, has resumed studying at Vincentia High School on the NSW south coast, 17-year-old Jake has been placed on "principal's leave" and barred from school grounds, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Jake said he desperately wants to finish his high school education to set an example for his newborn child and give them both a better shot at life.

"I'd do anything from welding to construction to the army when I finish but people who don't pass Year 12 get a lower standard in life; people see us as failures and unsuccessful," he said.

The teen told the newspaper that after seven months of pleading with the school to readmit him he has only just been given the option to complete the HSC at TAFE or apply, with no guarantee of enrollment, to Shoalhaven High School, which is an hour from his home.

His mother Debbie Lee said she would like Jake to continue his schooling at Vincentia and took the matter to NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli in April.

"The department just said it was 'not in Jake's best interests' to go back and we still do not know why that is," she said.

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"Jake wants an education and that is clearly evident and he is entitled to that.

"The anguish that it has caused to our family is just a joke. An education is a right not a privilege."

An education department spokeswoman said it continued to meet with Jake to find a solution.

"The family have indicated to ­department officers as late as this afternoon that they are satisfied with the recent actions taken by the ­department in finding a solution for their child," the spokeswoman said.

However, Ms Lee said neither she nor Jake are satisfied with the current situation and will continue to fight to have him readmitted to Vincentia high School.